The Claddagh Promise
by Jatd4ever
Summary: The ring was the key to everything (Modern AU)


***I don't own Jane and the Dragon or its characters, I don't own YouTube, I don't own Facebook**

 **I always liked the idea of a claddagh ring and yes I know it's an Irish thing, but I enjoyed it's meaning so I used it. Hope you'll enjoy, and this is another Modern AU. Shout out to SunRise19, your comments are always encouraging.**

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The ring was the key to everything.

At that time, my lawyer read the contents of my father's will, and as my father's only son I had expected to receive everything; but imagine my surprise when I was told this. "Your father was a sick man, and I wouldn't count on his word."

I thought that was strange, but I asked what was written, and then I read the for myself. In his will my father wrote, "Find the twin, and you'll find the key. Do mind your time, for if a year passes from the time of my death and you cannot solve this riddle, then you receive nothing, and you truly would be a stupid boy" And I dropped it before I could read anything else.

And with that will, an envelope was attached, inside it a single golden claddagh ring. I had no idea what do, my mind raced, the blood rushed to my face, and I cried hot angry tears. _After_ _all those years I broke my back with grueling hard work, after everything I had done to protect him, he played me this way_ was what I thought. My lawyer was sympathetic, and I asked what I could the next day, and he told me that perhaps it was a riddle that concerned the ring. My father was well read, and a clever sadist, he knew I lacked the patience, and perhaps would lose everything.

I had heard of stories about how social media help solve various issues, so I went on Facebook and posted a picture of the ring, sharing it with everyone I knew to see if they had any idea what it meant. Nobody shared their condolences for my father's death, but they pitied my situation.

What was pity if it did nothing, but make me feel bad?

When it seemed that it wasn't enough, I made a video asking for help to find a ring just like mine and posted it on YouTube. I received several offers for modeling, for I was more handsome then I thought, but it seemed no one knew anything. Then I received a comment. "Your answer is not that complicated, but I wonder if you're worth the trouble"

This anonymous commenter grabbed my attention, and I decided to start a web series. Every week I posted updates about my personal life, talking about my job and the people I've met, and everytime this anonymous commenter had things to say. After a few months, as my popularity rose to an all time high, I asked my fans once more to assist in my search. They posted videos in response, and I had a flood of emails, but what impressed me was the video of a news report. The video was edited and I couldn't see anyone's face, but when a young detective gave an interview, there it was, the golden claddagh ring as clear as day on her left hand with the point of the heart toward the fingertips; the twin to my ring, a step forward. It took hours of close examination of the video, but it appeared as though my answer was somewhere in Europe. When I left for the airport, I wasn't leaving anything behind in California except my father's shipping business

I stopped in London, and my time was running out, with only a few months left, but I almost didn't care. I started my online video updates and received many requests to take pictures in various places as well as suggestions on must see places. And with that, I created a blog to list my visits and thoughts on various scenes and sightings. Then, one day a fan sent me a ticket to travel to a town called Kippernia. Now you'd think that a placed called Kippernia would sound cheesy, but it was a quaint little town that felt stuck in the past. At first I stayed at the Dragons Cave Inn, and took some time exploring the place. The townspeople were courteous, and hospitable, loved their kippers, and loved their castle.

The ruins woke an odd sort of of nostalgia, as though I belonged there. After a few weeks, I decided to prolong my stay and perhaps give up my search. For fun. I took a job as a knight in the weekly reenactments; for I loved history immensely and my fencing skills proved quite useful. It was there that I met a girl named Jane, who was staying in town for a few days while visiting her parents. We argued a great deal over who was the greater fake Knight, and I mostly enjoyed seeing her cross. However, she took her role seriously, and it made ashamed of teasing her and more determined to focus as well.

When she left I missed her a great deal, but I sharpened my skills while she was away to impress her. At last, when she returned, I took a leap of faith and asked her out. Our dates were awkward, and a few ended in argument, but we always somehow did better when we were together then apart. We made a great team, at least I thought so and I asked her to marry me.

Now this was the interesting part; for instead of crying, she laughed. "I cannot become engaged to you," was her reply, "I am spoken for."

She stopped me before I left in angry bitterness and continued. "I cannot become engaged to you, for we are already engaged"

And from under her shirt, she pulled out her necklace which held a golden claddagh ring, just like mine. "I am the key, and you found me" was her smiling reply.

Honestly, I didn't handle it well, and needed to rest for a few days. I felt played, I felt used, but mostly, I felt stupid. This woman, who was so incredible in so many ways,. Yet, she knew who I was while my eyes were shrouded in the mystery of her connections. When I saw her again, I decided that whatever it was that she was sent for she could return to; for I didn't know why we were already engaged, or how she was connected to my father, but if she loved me then she had to be honest.

She told the truth, about how her father managed my father's oversea accounts, how father tried to turn his life around, and why; he felt as though he needed to repay me and hoped to be forgiven. And since there were very few people my father trusted, he relied on his old associate Milton Turnkey, and asked him to find a wife for his son. The one chosen of course was Turnkey's daughter Jane, who was a decent girl, though peculiar, was an upright girl, who lived in London, and worked as a detective. She went on to explain as to why she hadn't revealed her identity until then, and why she accepted her father's request.

Having fulfilled her promise, she told me that marriage wasn't necessary if I wanted to inherit my father's fortune, and all I had to do was bring our two rings to Milton. It was hard, and just when I finally started to feel as though things were going well for me, another landslide of pain came my way. I made a choice, and let her decide what she wanted to do. It was the first time in my life in which found a place I called home, and I knew she would never be the kind to settle down in one place for the rest of her life, so I told her she was free. She gave me her ring, and I took care of the rest.

She left, and I had an inheritance to burn. With my money, I improved the town, opened the way for better a import/export process, and bought the castle. I enjoyed the reenactments so much that I expanded them to bi weekly shows; the first so that I may witness, the second to participate in. I sold my fathers business in America, and with the money renovated the castle for use as my home and as a museum; though at times I had companies rent it for use in several series and films, though only on my terms.

I made a few friends along the way, and kept busy to prevent depression. There were times when I didn't feel so happy, and wondered if misery was just catching up with me; for I thought I had earned my happy ending. However those times passed, and so did years when I really felt I needed something, but kept busy to distract myself.

They say if you love something let it go, and if it returns it's yours. Well, Jane returned one day, and I forgave before she could even say a word. She was real, and not like all those reenactments, or plays where we were actors in a stage pretending to be what we were not. Oh yes, she was real. I asked her again to marry me, this time she cried, and laughed a little, but nonetheless, she accepted fully. This time she wasn't going back, and wasn't on anyone's mission but her own; not because her father asked her to return, but for herself. She made a promise to her heart to never let me go ever again, because she never should have left to begin with; and I was resolved to cherish the happiness that was brought forth from being all that we could hope to be.

In the end father was right, _find the twin and you'll find the key_. I was too hasty, and I reread the will. The words after the riddle displayed a heartbroken man, who no one loved, and perhaps never had; but there was one thing he did regret, and it was to say how proud he was of everything that I had ever accomplished and how there were all the things he never said.

This time, I forgive him, this time for good. The claddagh ring wasn't the key to my fortune, or to my destiny, but to find the way to my other half Jane, to unlock what I was truly missing, and to teach me thar was love was real and meant for me; but most of all, to show the way a life should be lived, full of happiness, regret, and everlasting learning.


End file.
